illustration of the Ramayana by Sahib Din, 1652. Kausalya is depicted slaying the horse (left) and lying beside it (right).

The Ashvamedha (Sanskrit: अश्वमेध aśvamedhá; "horse sacrifice") was one of the most important royal rituals of Vedic religion, described in detail in the Yajurveda (TS 7.1-5, VSM 22–25^[1] and the pertaining commentary in the Shatapatha Brahmana ŚBM 13.1–5). The Rigveda does have descriptions of horse sacrifice, notably in hymns RV 1.162-163 (which are themselves known as aśvamedha), but does not allude to the full ritual according to the Yajurveda.

The Vedic sacrifice[link]

The Ashvamedha could only be conducted by a king (rājā). Its object was the acquisition of power and glory, the sovereignty over neighbouring provinces, and general prosperity of the kingdom.

The horse to be sacrificed must be a stallion, more than 24, but less than 100 years old. The horse is sprinkled with water, and the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer whisper mantras into its ear. Anyone who should stop the horse is ritually cursed, and a dog is killed symbolic of the punishment for the sinners. The horse is then set loose towards the North-East, to roam around wherever it chooses, for the period of one year (or half a year, according to some commentators). The horse is associated with the Sun, and its yearly course. If the horse wanders into neighbouring provinces hostile to the sacrificer, they must be subjugated. The wandering horse is attended by a hundred young men, sons of princes or high court officials, charged with guarding the horse from all dangers and inconvenience. During the absence of the horse, an uninterrupted series of ceremonies is performed in the sacrificer's home.

After the return of the horse, more ceremonies are performed. The horse is yoked to a gilded chariot, together with three other horses, and RV 1.6.1,2 (YV VSM 23.5,6) is recited. The horse is then driven into water and bathed. After this, it is anointed with ghee by the chief queen and two other royal consorts. The chief queen anoints the fore-quarters, and the others the barrel and the hind-quarters. They also embellish the horse's head, neck, and tail with golden ornaments. The sacrificer offers the horse the remains of the night's oblation of grain.

After this, the horse, a hornless he-goat, a wild ox (go-mrga, Bos gavaeus) are bound to sacrificial stakes near the fire, and seventeen other animals are attached to the horse. A great number of animals, both tame and wild, are tied to other stakes, according to a commentator 609 in total (YV VSM 24 consists of an exact enumeration).

Then the horse is slaughtered (YV VSM 23.15, tr. Griffith)

Steed, from thy body, of thyself, sacrifice and accept thyself.

Thy greatness can be gained by none but thee.

The chief queen ritually calls on the king's fellow wives for pity. The queens walk around the dead horse reciting mantras. The chief queen then has to mimic copulation with the dead horse, while the other queens ritually utter obscenities.^[2]

On the next morning, the priests raise the queen from the place where she has spent the night with the horse. With the Dadhikra verse (RV 4.39.6, YV VSM 23.32), a verse used as a purifier after obscene language.

The three queens with a hundred golden, silver and copper needles indicate the lines on the horse's body along which it will be dissected. The horse is dissected, and its flesh roasted. Various parts are offered to a host of deities and personified concepts with utterances of svaha "all-hail". The Ashvastuti or Eulogy of the Horse follows (RV 1.162, YV VSM 24.24–45), concluding with:

May this Steed bring us all-sustaining riches, wealth in good kine, good horses, manly offspring

Freedom from sin may Aditi vouchsafe us: the Steed with our oblations gain us lordship!

The priests performing the sacrifice were recompensed with a part of the booty won during the wandering of the horse. According to a commentator, the spoils from the east were given to the Hotar, while the Adhvaryu a maiden (a daughter of the sacrificer) and the sacrificer's fourth wife.

The Shatapatha Brahmana emphasizes the royal nature of the Ashvamedha:

Verily, the Asvamedha means royal sway: it is after royal sway that these strive who guard the horse. (ŚBM 13.1.6.3 trans. Eggeling 1900)

It repeatedly states that "the Asvamedha is everything" (ŚBM 13.4.2.22 trans. Eggeling 1900)

The Ashvamedha, the highest expression of royal authority, is a soma sacrifice and incorporates other important sacrifices. The Ashvamedha is intended to secure prosperity for the kingdom and its subjects. It is a bloody sacrifice in which the domestic animals are killed and non-domestic animals are set free. It ends with a further sacrifice of twenty one cows. Gifts are then given to the officers, culminating in the gift to the priests of the four wives of the king or their attendants. . The human sacrifice, the Purushamedha, followed a similar format, but included a man with the animals to be sacrificed. The price of the man was set at one thousand cows and a hundred horses. Like the horse, the man chosen for sacrifice was allowed to wander for a year. Once he had been killed, the queen lay with his corpse.^[3]

The Ashvamedha celebrated the king as king of the whole world, not as king of a part of the world that constituted his kingdom. The stature of a king was not related to a particular part of the world that might have been his kingdom. As in ancient Rome, the horse was considered a noble animal and was associated with the military class. When the Asvamedha has been performed in historical times, it has been more to demonstrate Vedic orthodoxy than for genuinely religious reasons.^[4]

The Laws of Manu refer to the Ashvamedha (V.53): 'The man who offers a horse-sacridice every day for a hundred years, and the man who does not eat meat, the two of them reap the same fruit of good deeds.'^[5]

Known historical performances[link]

Pusyamitra Sunga is said to have performed the Ashvamedha rite after he toppled Mauryan rule in 185 BC.

A coin created by Samudragupta I to commemorate the Ashvamedha ritual.^[6] The tethered horse is depicted on the left; the queen, carrying ritual equipment, is on the right

A historically documented performance of the Ashvamedha is during the reign of Samudragupta I (d. 380), the father of Chandragupta II. Special coins were minted to commemorate the Ashvamedha and the king took on the title of Maharajadhiraja after successful completion of the sacrifice.

There were a few later performances, one by Raja of Kannauj in the 12th century, unsuccessfully, as Prithviraj Chauhan thwarted his attempt and later married his daughter. The last known instance seems to be in 1716 CE, by Jai Singh II of Amber, of Jaipur^[7]

Performances in Hindu epics[link]

The scene depicted here is the Battle of Arjuna and Raja Tamradhvaja-from Razmnama)

Performances of the Ashvamedha feature in the epics Ramayana (1.10–15) and Mahabharata.

In the Mahabharata, the sacrifice is performed by Yudhishtira (Book 14), his brothers guarding the horse as it roamed into neighbouring kingdoms. Arjuna defeats all challengers. The Mahabharata says that the Ashvamedha as performed by Yudhishtira adhered to the letter of the Vedic prescriptions. After the horse was cut into parts, Draupadi had to sit beside the parts of the horse.^[8]

In the Ramayana, Rama's father Dasharatha performs the Ashvamedha, which is described in the bala kanda (book 1) of the poem. The Ramayana provides far more detail than the Mahabharata. The ritual take place for three days preceded by sage Rishyasringa and Vasista(1.14.41,42). Again it is stated that the ritual was performed in strict compliance with Vedic prescriptions (1.14.10). Dasaratha's chief wife Kausalya circumambulates the horse and ritually pierces its flesh (1.14.33). Then "Queen Kausalya desiring the results of ritual disconcertedly resided one night with that horse that flew away like a bird." [1-14-34].^[9] The fat of the sacrificed horse is then burnt in ritual fire and after that the remaining parts of the body with spoons made out of Plaksha tree branches(1.14.36,38-39). At the conclusion of the ritual Dasharatha symbolically offers his other wives to the presiding priests, who return them in exchange for expensive gifts (1.14.35). The four sides of the Yagna altar is also donated to priests who had done the ritual and it is exchanged by them for gold, silver, cows and other gifts(1.15.43-44).^[10]

Rama fighting Lava and Kusha over the possession of Ashvamedha horse pictured at the right side.

The ritual is performed again towards the end of the poem, but in very different circumstances. It figures centrally in the uttara kanda (book 7) where it leads to the final major story in the poem. In this narrative, Rama was married to a single wife, Sita, who at the time was not with him, having been excluded from Rama's capital of Ayodhya. She was therefore represented by a statue for the queen's ceremony.^{[citation needed]} Sita was living in Valmiki's forest ashram with her twin children by Rama, Lava and Kusha, whose birth was unknown to Rama. In its wanderings, the horse, accompanied by an army and Hanuman, enters the forest and encounters Lava, who ignores the warning written on the horse's headplate not to hinder its progress. He tethers the horse, and with Kusha challenges the army, which is unable to defeat the brothers. Recognising Rama's sons, Hanuman sends them to Ayodhya where they are reconciled with their father, who also accepts Sita back at court. Sita, however, no longer wishes to live, and is absorbed by the earth. It is never stated whether the sacrifice was completed, but after Sita's death Rama is said to have repeatedly performed the Ashvamedha using the golden statue as a substitute for his wife.^{[citation needed]}

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, the sacrifice is performed by King Vasu Uparichara. By the king's decree, no animals were slain during the yagna, and the only offerings that were made were "products of the wilderness."^[11]

Some historians believe that the bala kanda and uttara kanda were latter interpolations to the authentic form of the Ramayana, due to references to Greek, Parthians and Sakas, dating to no earlier than the 2nd century BCE^[12]

Indo-European comparison[link]

Many Indo-European branches show evidence for horse sacrifice, and comparative mythology suggests that they derive from a Proto-Indo-European ritual. The Ashvamedha is the clearest evidence preserved, but vestiges from Latin and Celtic traditions allow the reconstruction of a few common attributes.

The Gaulish personal name Epomeduos is from *ek'wo-medhu- "horse+mead", while ashvamedha is either from *ek'wo-mad-dho- "horse+drunk" or *ek'wo-mey-dho- "horse+strength". The reconstructed myth involves the coupling of a king with a divine mare which produced the divine twins. Some scholars, including Edgar Polomé, regard the reconstruction of a Proto-Indo-European ritual as unjustified due to the difference between the attested traditions (EIEC s.v. Horse, p. 278).

Vedanta and Puranas[link]

The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (a mystical appendix to the Shatapatha Brahmana and likely the oldest of the Upanishads) has a creation myth where Mṛtyu "Death" takes the shape of a horse, and includes an identification of the Ashvamedha with the Sun:^[13]

Then he became a horse (ashva), because it swelled (ashvat), and was fit for sacrifice (medhya); and this is why the horse-sacrifice is called Ashva-medha [...] Therefore the sacrificers offered up the purified horse belonging to Prajapati, (as dedicated) to all the deities. Verily the shining sun [ye tapati] is the Asvamedha, and his body is the year; Agni is the sacrificial fire (arka), and these worlds are his bodies. These two are the sacrificial fire and the Asvamedha-sacrifice, and they are again one deity, viz. Death. (BrUp 1.2.7. trans. Müller)

The Upanishads describe ascetic austerities as an "inner Ashvamedha", as opposed to the "outer" royal ritual performed in the physical world, in keeping with the general tendency of Vedanta to move away from priestly ritual towards spiritual introspection; verse 6 of the Avadhuta Upanishad has:

"Through extreme devotion [sam-grahaneṣṭi] he [the ascetic] performs ashvamedha within [anta]. That is the greatest sacrifice [mahā-makha] and the greatest meditation [mahā-yoga]."

According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana (185.180),^[14] the Ashvamedha is one of five rites forbidden in the Kali Yuga.

In Hindu revivalism[link]

In the Arya Samaj reform movement of Dayananda Sarasvati, the Ashvamedha is considered an allegory or a ritual to get connected to the "inner Sun" (Prana)^[15] Dayananda in his Introduction to the commentary on the Vedas^[16] rejected the classical commentaries of the Vedas by Sayana, Mahidhara and Uvata as medieval corruptions "opposed to the real meaning of the Vedas" (p. 443) in order to arrive at an entirely symbolic interpretation of the ritual: "An empire is like a horse and the subjects like other inferior animals" (p. 448). Thus, VSM 23.22, literally "he beats on the vulva (gabha), the penis (pasas) oozes repeatedly (ni-galgaliti) in the receptacle" is interpreted not in terms of the horse and the queen, but in terms of the king and his subjects, "The subjects are called gabha (to be seized), kingly power called pasa (to be penetrated)" (p. 454). This interpretation is apparently based on a verse from Shatapatha Brahmana.^[17]

Following Dayananda, Arya Samaj disputes the very existence of the pre-Vedantic ritual; thus Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati claims that

"the word in the sense of the Horse Sacrifice does not occur in the Samhitas [...] In the terms of cosmic analogy, ashva is the Sun. In respect to the adhyatma paksha, the Prajapati-Agni, or the Purusha, the Creator, is the Ashva; He is the same as the Varuna, the Most Supreme. The word medha stands for homage; it later on became synonymous with oblations in rituology, since oblations are offered, dedicated to the one whom we pay homage. The word deteriorated further when it came to mean 'slaughter' or 'sacrifice'."^[18]

arguing that the animals listed as sacrificial victims are just as symbolic as the list of human victims listed in the Purushamedha.^[18] (which is generally accepted as a purely symbolic sacrifice already in Rigvedic times).

Other commentators accept the existence of the sacrifice but reject the notion that the queen lay down with the dead horse. Thus Subhash Kak in a blog posting suggests that the queen lay down with a toy horse rather than with the slaughtered stallion, due to presence of the word Ashvaka, similar to Shivaka meaning "idol or image of Shiva"^{[citation needed]}

All World Gayatri Pariwar since 1991 has organized performances of a "modern version" of the Ashvamedha where a statue is used in place of a real horse, according to Hinduism Today with a million participants in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh on April 16 to 20, 1994.^[19] Such modern performances are sattvika Yajnas where the animal is worshipped without killing it,^[20] the religious motivation being prayer for overcoming enemies, the facilitation of child welfare and development, and clearance of debt,^[21] entirely within the allegorical interpretation of the ritual, and with no actual sacrifice of any animal, nor any sexual connotations.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati rejected the classical commentaries of the Vedas by Sayana, Mahidhara and Uvata as medieval corruptions "opposed to the real meaning of the Vedas" (p. 443) in order to arrive at an entirely symbolic interpretation of the ritual: "An empire is like a horse and the subjects like other inferior animals" (p. 448). Thus, VSM 23.22, literally "he beats on the vulva (gabha), the penis (pasas) oozes repeatedly (ni-galgaliti) in the receptacle" is interpreted not in terms of the horse and the queen, but in terms of the king and his subjects, "The subjects are called gabha (to be seized), kingly power called pasa (to be penetrated)" (p. 454). This interpretation is apparently based on a verse from Shatapatha Brahmana.^[17] According to him, no horse was actually to be slaughtered in the ritual as per the Yajurveda.^[17]

Criticism and controversy[link]

The earliest recorded criticism of the ritual comes from the Cārvāka, an atheistic school of Indian philosophy that assumed various forms of philosophical skepticism and religious indifference. A quotation of the Cārvāka from Madhavacharya's Sarva-Darsana-Sangraha states:

The mock bestiality and necrophilia involved in the ritual caused considerable consternation among the scholars first editing the Yajurveda. Griffith (1899) omits verses VSM 23.20–31 (the ritual obscenities), protesting that they are "not reproducible even in the semi-obscurity of a learned European language" (alluding to other instances where he renders explicit scenes in Latin rather than English). A. B. Keith's 1914 translation also omits verses.^[2]

This part of the ritual offended the Dalit reformer and framer of the Indian constitution B. R. Ambedkar and is frequently mentioned in his writings as an example of the perceived degradation of Brahmanical culture.^[23]

See also[link]

• Horse sacrifice
• Animal sacrifice
• Purushamedha
• Somayajna
• Ashva
• October Horse

References[link]

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Shriram Sharma (September 20, 1911 – June 2, 1990) was an Indian seer, sage, a prominent philosopher, a visionary of the New Golden Era, and the Founder of the All World Gayatri Pariwar, which has its headquarters at Shantikunj, Haridwar.

He pioneered the revival of spirituality, creative integration of the modern and ancient sciences and religion relevant in the challenging circumstances of the present times.

Birth and early life[link]

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya was born on the 20th September 1911 as the son of Pt. Roopkishore Sharma and Mata Dankunvari Devi in Anvalkheda (Dist. Agra, India).^[1]

Right from his childhood, Acharyaji showed the yearning and deep commitment for the welfare of common masses when he took a brave step of nursing an old “untouchable” woman suffering from leprosy against the strong disapproval and displeasure of his family. She used to work in their household and was called Chapko, Acharyaji was curious about her prolonged absence, when she did not show up for a few days. So he set out in her search towards the outskirts of the village (“untouchable” settlements were usually constructed on the outskirts of the villages). He found her in a terrible condition, screaming out in pain and agony, the screams suppressed due the lack of energy and being devoid of food, conditions worse than that of animals, stripped of all human dignity. The reason for her degradation to a creature of pity was the combined apathy of the residents of the village and her relatives, but the only one who cared was Acharyaji. He conferred with physicians and vaidyas (traditional Hindu physicians), procured the medicines, the dressings for her. Took out time daily to bathe her, to apply medicine, dress her wounds and feed her. This was particularly remarkable during the time when the "Chhut-Achhut" (untouchability) crisis was at its peak. This event in his life is particularly important as it highlights his belief in Karm (action, doing, hands-on-approach) in life.

The Great freedom fighter and founder of Banaras Hindu University, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya solemnized his sacred thread ceremony (Yagyopaveet) and initiated him in the Gayatri Mantra.

At the age of fifteen, his Spiritual Guru, a Himalayan Yogi, Sarveshwaranandji had appeared in his vision during the worship in the astral form. As per Sarveshwarandji's instruction, Gurudev performed twenty-four lakh times (2.4 million) recitation of Gayatri Mantra each for twenty-four years (24 mahapurashcarañas). He visited Himalayas four times for higher spiritual attainments and at the same time took active part in India's freedom movement. He was sent to jail thrice for his participation in freedom movement.

Participation in Indian Freedom Movement[link]

Young Shriram started participating in Indian freedom movement in the age of just 12 years. He created Baal Sena (children's army) to oppose British government and help victims. Worried by his increasing participation in movement, his family members tried to stop him, but he left home in the midnight, walked for 12 hours and reached Agra. There he joined volunteer camp of Indian National Congress. Fellow freedom fighters nicknamed him as "Matt" (the Intoxicated, read as: obsessed, completely devoted to the idea of a Free India) on account of his dedication and devotion.^[2] Many of his revolutionary writings and poetries were published in Hindi newspaper Sainik (soldier) with nickname of Matta.

After hanging of Bhagat Singh, he was arrested for breaking prohibitory orders in April 1931 in Agra but released soon. Undeterred by this, he announced a flag procession in village Parakhi near his home village Awalkhera. Government again issued prohibitory orders. Police attacked on procession with batons. Shriram became unconscious and later moved to hospital. Doctors were astonished when they found that a piece of cloth from flag was still stuck between his jaws which he has taken into his mouth to save flag from police.

In 1933, he left for Kolkata to attend Rashtriya Adhivation (national meet) of Congress, but arrested and sent to Asansol jail with other national leaders such as Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya, Swaruparani Nehru, Devdas Gandhi, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai etc.^[3] At the age of 25 years he was again arrested on charges of flag hoisting on government establishments and transferred to many jails. He was released after almost one year.

Spiritual Sojourn[link]

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya visited Shri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry, Maharshi Raman's Ashram at Tiruvannamalai, Santiniketan of Shri Rabindranath Tagore and worked with Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. During his participation in Indian freedom mevement, he came in close contact with eminent national leaders. In 1935, he embarked upon the task of social upliftment through spiritual means with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1946, he married Bhagwati Devi Sharma, and ever since, the saintly couple dedicatedly pursued the goal of spiritual upliftment of humankind.

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya(revered as “Gurudev” by his disciples) was a great devotee of Goddess Gayatri. He successfully practiced and mastered the highest kinds of sadhanas described in Hinduism. He had deciphered the hidden science of Tantras. He had attained the supreme knowledge of the philosophy and science of the Gayatri Mantra and yoga. He pioneered experiments on simple sadhanas, which could be easily pursued by the common masses.

The yearning for literature[link]

To help people, his aim was to diagnose the root cause of the ailing state of the world today and enable the upliftment of society. Acharyaji recognized the crisis of faith, people’s ignorance of the powers of the inner self, and the lack of righteous attitude and conduct.

Realizing the potential of inspirational literature and its importance in sparking an intellectual evolution, he had chosen writing as the principal mode towards uprooting the evil tendencies and blind faith from people’s minds and arousing the indwelling wisdom, strength and spiritual bliss.

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya initiated the movement of VICHAR KRANTI (Thought Revolution) with the very first issue of “Akhand Jyoti” in 1940(Jan). By 1960, he had compiled, edited and translated the 4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 6 Darshanas, 18 Puranas, 20 Smritis, 24 Gitas, Yogavashishtha, Nirukta, Vyakaran, hundreds of Aranyakas and Brahmanas with lucid commentaries to enable the masses to understand the knowledge contained in them. The translation was also aimed at eliminating misconceptions, superstitions and blind customs, which were propagated in the medieval era by misinterpretations of the Vedas and other scriptures. This contribution to the world of knowledge and human culture was highly acclaimed and the distinguished title of “Vedmurti” was conferred upon him in its recognition.

Understanding the modern day psychology of the people, and recognizing the non-relevance, in the present times, of the mythical characters and the background of life depicted in the Puranas, he wrote “Pragya Purana” in the narrative and conversational style of the ancient Puranas to preach the eternal principles of happy, progressive and ideal life with practical guidance relevant to the modern age.

He wrote many books on almost all aspects of human life, whether it be the elucidation of the esoteric aspects of the subtle science of spirituality, research directions on brain and consciousness, discussions on child psychology and family institutions, guidelines on mental, emotional and physical health, and cheerful attitude in daily life.^[4] In his analysis we find no place for delusion, confusion or misconception. Through his literature he strikes a chord of empathy in the reader. The message conveyed in the literature touches the reader’s heart with deep sensitiveness, producing a sea of change in his attitudes and ideologies.

His discourses manifested similar perfection of eloquence. The simplicity of language in his orations and his ability to establish a rapport with the audience is said to have had a hypnotizing effect on the listener’s mind. The spiritual radiance and integrity of his character, faultless synchronicity of his deeds with the principles he preached and the purity of his sentiments added to the motivating power of his pen and voice.

A Global Movement[link]

On the completion of the 24 Mahapurashcharans, Pt. Shriram Sharma established Gayatri Tapobhumi at Mathura, India in 1953. He organized a grand 1008 Kundi Yagya in 1958, which served as a base to launch the Yug Nirman Yojna, a global movement for moral, cultural, intellectual and spiritual refinement and reconstruction. The objectives of this movement are to reform the individual, the family and social values of mankind and to change the current ideologies and concepts of morality and social structure for a better tomorrow.

Through various activities at Mathura, including the performance of yagnas on large scale, Acharyaji gathered a team of dedicated men and women. Thus the organization called “Gayatri Pariwar” was born.

As per the plans projected under the Yug Nirman Yojna, the mission has contributed to the upliftment of the personal, familial and social aspects of human life. Its major activities include mass awareness and education on cultural values through small and large scale Gayatri Yojnas and collective projects of social transformation with people’s voluntary participation. Propagation of ideal marriages without dowry and extravagant shows has been a significant and trend-setting achievement, especially in the Indian context. Other achievements include upliftment of the social status of women and an integrated and self-reliant development of villages.

The establishment of Shantikunj[link]

According to the pressing need of the present times, he developed Shantikunj, as spiritual center for implementing the teachings of Great Rishis (Spiritual Scientists) into practice. He established Brahmvarchas Research Institute at Haridwar, a center for inter communion of science and religion. The prime aim of establishing the Brahmavarchas Research Institute is to establish the ancient Indian Yogic Philosophy as the science and art of living.^[5]

Acharyaji pioneered the resurrection of the rishi culture by simultaneous renaissance and expansion of the reformative and constructive endeavours of the leading rishis of the Vedic Age. He reviewed the immortal contributions of the divine culture of India to the rest of the world and endeavoured for nurturing and re-establishing the foundational elements of the Indian Culture and the roots of its divine nature in new scientific light through several activities of the Gayatri Pariwar.

As a part of his intensive study of the Indian culture and religious philosophy, he rediscovered the sociological and psychological importance of pilgrimage. He taught us how the ancient glory and the real purpose of the tirthas (sacred places of pilgrimage) could be revived in the present times for the welfare of the masses.

The Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (the Divine Culture University) inaugurated in 2002, under the auspices of Shantikunj is an instrument for the revival of the Divine Indian Culture as per his vision.^[6]

Scientific spirituality[link]

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya was convinced that modern man could not be persuaded to accept the values of life patronized by ancient spirituality until and unless these were proved to be scientifically viable for the welfare of the individual and the society. This was indeed a Herculean task, given the trends of intellectual and scientific evolution over past millennium and almost simultaneous deterioration of religion and culture, which had resulted in a near total neglect of spirituality in the human life and the emergence of blind faiths, misconceptions, and prejudices. The Brahmavarchas Research Institute founded by him in 1979 near Shantikunj stands as a living example of how the idea of scientific spirituality could be implemented and researched in the modern laboratories.

The dawn of the New Era[link]

During 1984–1986, he carried out the unique spiritual experiment of sukshmikaraña, meaning sublimation of vital force and physical, mental and spiritual energies. He authored a special set of 40 books (termed Revolutionary Literature or Krantidharmi Sahitya) highlighting the future of the world and conveying the message of the dawn in of the New Era of Truth during the 21st Century. On 2 June 1990, he died In 1991 India released a postage stamp in his honour inscribed Sri Ram Sharma Acharya.^[7]

Thereafter, his soulmate revered Mata Bhagavati Devi guided the series of Ashwamedha Yagyas, which accelerated the pace of global expansion of the mission during the critical juncture of the decade of change of a millennium and change of an era. She died on 19 September 1994.

Selected works[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Shriram Sharma

• What am I, Translated 2008 (Original Hindi Edition 1940)
• The Absolute Law Of Karma, Revised 2003
• The Extrasensory Potentials of Mind
• The Great Moments of Change.
• Problems of Today, Solutions for Tomorrow, Translated 2000
• The Life Beyond Physical Death, Translated 1999
• Sleep, Dreams and Spiritual Reflections
• The Super Science of Gayatri, Translated 2000
• Gayatri Sadhana: The Truth and Distortions (2000).
• Revival of Satyug (The Golden Age) (2000).
• consciouc,unconscious and super conscious mind(2000).

References[link]

1. ^ http://gurudev.awgp.org/LifeSojourn/Chronology/
2. ^ Indian Post
3. ^ page 52-53, Swatantrata-Sangram ke Sainik (Sankshipt Parichay) 33, District Agra; Published by Suchna Vibhag (Information Department) Lucknow, UP
4. ^ http://literature.awgp.org/home/
5. ^ http://www.awgp.org/Establishments/
6. ^ http://www.dsvv.org/?Aboutus/PatronFounder/
7. ^ Stamp Issue Date: 27 June 1991, Postage Stamp Denomination: 1.00, Postal Stamp Serial Number: 1458, Postal Stamp Name: SHRIRAM SHARMA ACHARYA

External links[link]

Wikibooks has more on the topic of Shriram Sharma

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2010)

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Shriram Sharma

• 'Akhand Jyoti' monthly magazine Since 1937 – Gayatri Pariwar's principal magazine, the source of the divine light of Vedic Scriptures with Philosophy of Gayatri & Yagya.
• Shantikunj
• Literature
• Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya: Seer-Sage of the New Golden Era
• Gayatri Pariwar UK
• Link to Assorted Literature written by Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya (English Translations)
• Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
• Vedamtha Gayatri

Biography in other languages[link]

• Vedmurti Taponishth Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya – Biography of Shriram Sharma Acharya in Maithili by Binod Bihari Verma. 2005. Bhubaneswar.

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